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Is fascism on the rise in the UK?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows a visible surge in far‑right activity, street clashes, and organised campaigns around immigration and “mass deportation” themes in 2025, with groups described as more organised and seeking intellectual legitimacy [1] [2]. Opinion polls show mainstream figures such as Nigel Farage remain polarising rather than broadly popular, while civil society and academics have mobilised—over 400 signatories—to warn against authoritarian drift [3] [4].
1. The shape of the threat: organised, shifting, and “calmer”
Journalists and investigators argue that the face of British fascism has changed from the 20th‑century caricature to groups that present themselves more calmly and strategically, aiming for a veneer of intellectual legitimacy rather than overt uniforms and marches (ITV’s profile of an organiser) [1]. NGOs and specialist outlets such as Searchlight and HOPE not Hate document a mixture of old‑style extremists, opportunistic parties and new networks, indicating a plural, adaptive far right rather than a single monolith [5] [6].
2. Street politics and violent episodes: evidence of escalation
Multiple sources record protests, “flash riots” and clashes linked to anti‑immigrant mobilisation in 2024–25, including disorder after local incidents and a series of immigration‑focused street actions that have led to injuries and arrests (Wikipedia summary; Middle East Eye) [2] [7]. Reporting and watchdogs highlight that events such as rallies outside hotels housing asylum seekers have been used as launchpads for wider national campaigns demanding forced deportations (World Socialist Web Site; p1_s5).
3. Electoral and party dynamics: mainstreaming and fragmentation
Far‑right sentiment is being channelled through a mix of established parties (Reform UK, UKIP) and smaller groups. Polling shows leaders like Nigel Farage retain low favourable ratings overall (net ratings negative), suggesting mainstream acceptance is limited even as Reform‑style messaging gains traction in some areas (YouGov) [3]. Investigations into local elections show far‑right candidates remain a feature—often marginal but sometimes locally influential—while commentary pieces on both left and right warn that mainstream parties’ migration policies can create openings for the far right [6] [8].
4. Why commentators see a risk: politics, neoliberalism and media dynamics
Opinion writers and analysts link the rise of far‑right activity to political and economic factors: a perceived democratic crisis, austerity and “neoliberal” policies that create grievances; plus amplified polarising messages on social platforms, which some commentators (including Paul Mason and George Monbiot) say radicalise parts of the electorate [9] [10]. These pieces contend that political choices by mainstream actors—especially around immigration—can either check or accelerate far‑right growth [10] [8].
5. Civil society response: mobilisation and warnings
There is clear, organised pushback: anti‑racist campaigns, local counter‑demonstrations, investigative watchdogs and a global open letter signed by hundreds of academics, including Nobel laureates, warning about authoritarian threats (Stand Up To Racism, Searchlight, stopreturnfascism.org) [11] [5] [4]. This shows both that many institutions perceive a heightened threat and that mobilisation has intensified alongside far‑right activity [11] [4].
6. Competing interpretations and political uses of the term “fascism”
Sources disagree on definitions and attribution: some outlets use “fascism” or “resurgent fascism” to describe violent street movements and organised xenophobic campaigns (Middle East Eye; CODEPINK), whereas others (e.g., WSWS and George Monbiot) frame the phenomenon as rooted in economic structures or elite complicity—each explanation carries different political remedies [7] [12] [10]. Some commentators on the left also accuse governing parties of paving a path to fascism by adopting hardline immigration stances; alternative sources argue such claims can be rhetorical overreach [8].
7. What the sources don’t say (limits of coverage)
Available sources document mobilisation, protests, and ideological shifts but do not provide a single definitive metric showing an irreversible “rise of fascism” nationwide; they also do not supply comprehensive membership numbers across groups or longitudinal crime‑rate comparisons to quantify growth (not found in current reporting). There is no unified academic consensus presented in these pieces that Britain has crossed a clear threshold into state‑level fascism (available sources do not mention a definitive tipping point).
8. Bottom line for readers: vigilance, context, and political choices
Reporting across mainstream outlets, specialist monitors and opinion writers consistently shows increased far‑right organisation, street activity and political salience around immigration in 2025, prompting robust civil‑society and academic alarm [1] [2] [4]. Whether this constitutes a short‑term surge, a longer‑term realignment, or a trajectory toward classical fascism depends on political responses, policing, platform moderation and wider socio‑economic trends—factors discussed but not conclusively resolved in the current reporting [9] [10].